#but the end might be hard though

[madeofcc]

"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger, more beautiful, more perfect. One single injection unlocks your DNA, starting a new cellular division, that will release another version of yourself. This is the Substance."

[peaceandlove26]

wip of my new favorite baby, designed by graymutual, currently unnamed but definitely a twiluna child

[cent-scratchnsniff]

hoptal

[summertimemusician]

Linktober 2024, Day 1, Mirror (Self)

Alright here we go again.

Technically a sneak peak of a bigger thing to come in the future that I'm repurposing, and the result of my final playthrough and readthrough before EoW dropped being Four Swords Adventures and that made me sad about Shadow Link again.

Note that this is for the Four Swords Adventures iteration of Shadow Link that might evolve into an LU Shadow, not Dark Link in either LOZ or LU, I have other plans for him.

This one shot was brought to you by Scars by The Crane Wives, Ribs by The Crane Wives, Ruin by The Amazing Devil and Two Minutes by The Amazing Devil because the author's playlist decided to be incredibly cheeky when they blacked out to write this like an ancient seers being cursed with visions and then called mad and hearing they've been put up for execution.

As always the nature of the relationship can be romantic or platonic, mostly due to the author's time constraints and further plans.

Anyway enjoy the reading!

It was cold.

The sort of cold after a wildfire, when everything's turned back to ash, the sort that left burned your vision white after the flames licked through your veins and left an ache in your bones. He shuddered, coughed black onto the stone floor, shaking with a muffled whimper.

It never got any easier, being dragged from the Dark World and into the Realm of Light, the goddesses' world itself revolting against an intruder, wanting the wound torn asunder into their oh so precious realm cauterized. To purge the intrusion and smite it where it stands.

Too bad for them (and for him), his master didn't particularly care about what the world wanted. Didn't particularly care that he hadn't grow accustomed to the pain or the cold, he had to stand up. There was work to be done.

(Shadow gritted his teeth, willed himself not to think about the prophecy of a golden haired princess- because whether he liked it or not, it was prophecy. As those with divinity running through their veins are wont to spill from their throats so carelessly- of violet eyes and a smile a third moonlight and hands holding a hammer.

It always hurt more, after one of the heroes liberated one of the maidens, or the jewels, the pain lingering for days afterwards and carving a home in his metaphorical bones. But just this once he'd take the cold bite of the Four Swords over the pain in the hole in his chest that Vio's betrayal had left, something that felt so much worse than every other time before.

Just this once he wished that maybe, just maybe, the hurt would be too much to bear, that he wouldn't wake up again-

Why? Why does it hurt so much but he's still here? He already knew the Light was uncompromising and unforgiving, but he thought them at least above curses.)

His ears twitched as soft, almost silent footsteps came up to his side. Someone crouching by his fallen form, setting a cautious hand over his own that Shadow couldn't help but draw away from with a hiss, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the world again, to your face, carefully blank as you guided him to lean against your side, a silver choker with a crimson gem winked mockingly at him, the shade closing his eyes and going boneless against your side.

Shadow was so, so tired.

He heard you quietly sigh, plucking his cap from his head and running your fingers through dark amethyst, smoke and mist made hair. "I told you so."

"Shut up." He grumbled, nuzzling further into the crook of your neck. One clawed hand curling against your free wrist, digging into the skin. Absentmindedly noting there were new scratches just above the metal.

It was routine by now, the warmth of your existence against his own a welcome balm, not quite of the Realm of Light where it's unpleasant, not too close to the Dark World where he felt like melting back into the embrace of the darkness, only to howl in agony at being dragged out.

Memories not quite his own bled into his mind all the time. How you'd shape ice into flowers for the princess in winter with nary a though, of blinking and from one second to the next you'd have whatever sword he had hostage if you though it was time for a break with a smile brighter than the sun.

His master had changed that though. It took months for you to stop trying to claw the collar out and to stop trying to fight Vaati.

(Funny how holding a mage's dragon as a bargaining chip is just as effective as kidnapping a ruler.)

Your gaze flicked to the polished obsidian of the Dark Mirror, to the gold, ornate frame. "The offer is still open, you know. Let me take the suffering from you."

"No." He scowled, leaning back to glare into your eyes, a hint of fangs poking out from a maw struggling to keep the shape of a human jaw, "You helped him. Helped them." Shadow spat, there is that hurt again.

You shrugged, a movement that's just slightly awkward as you flinch, "That I did." You confirmed simply, it almost made Shadow see red as he leaned away, knocking your hand from his head in the process, but if there's anything him and the heroes shared, was a lack of a desire to hurt you. It was a little grating to be honest, "Vio even offered to take me with him, to be honest."

"Then why didn't you leave?" He demanded.

Why did you stick around?

Your eyes shuttered, a hint of conflict in your pursed lips. Before you found your words, they come out softly, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you why. You'll just have to find out yourself."

You tug your wrist from his grasp, and Shadow lets you go.

(Stubbornly pushing down on memories and emotions that arearen'tarenotanymore quite his.)

You stand and turn away, pushing the curtains away from your sight, you turn your tired eyes to Shadow with an emotion he can't put a name to. "Just keep it in mind that there's more than one way to end this. Nothing is truly inevitable."

Shadow watches you go. 'There's nothing that can be done. He tells himself, hand hesitating above the Dark Mirror, briefly, it curls into a fist. The hero's original self stares back at him.

'… Does he really believe that?'

He shakes his head, and focuses on willing the Dark Mirror to show him his counterpart.

His chest still hurts.

[lbhslefttiddie]

suddenly seized with the desire to write/draw a few short little scenes from the world after the events of You Can (Not) Redo (the uh. the yqy timeloop fanfiction. not the evangelion movie which i named it for) because it is, generally speaking, a happy ending, but also yqy is left deeply, deeply broken in ways that would be both fascinating and hilarious to explore

[wundrousarts]

Manifesting some sort of Nevermoor content, news, or mention this month. Because otherwise I might go insane. 🤪

[silverskye13]

My brother in law let me borrow Sonic Frontiers [also read: asked me if I had access to a PS5 and when I said yes, handed it to me and said "play this"] and now my two biggest gaming nightmares are merged into one! [Fast paced gaming mechanics and open world map structures]

Anyway, I've been playing for 8 hours.

[noctlas332]

day two the lengthening is an act of love

[puhpandas]

thinking about how bad the elevator would be for Gregory if he didnt cut it. like all of the sudden your friend is randomly in the place that tried to kill you that's very dangerous searching for you when you never called her and arent even there and you spend all night working tirelessly to contact her while the thing tricking her is blocking out your signals. then finally you get ahold of her after watching her almost get hurt a thousand times and tell her the truth and promise to guide her out and you keep that promise, but then that thing uses your voice to trick her again and make her think that YOU (presumably) killed her. and this is after you already lost your entire life before this point and built a new one but your parents are dead and any siblings you might have had along with them and at least one of your friends died at your own hands already. imagine what he was going through in that moment after the elevator crashed

[vigilskeep]

some decisions from veilguard are actually only emotionally hitting me days afterwards

[sysig]

If the rules are “Catch them all” ZEX already has a leg up (Patreon)

[active-mind-15]

I was in the mood to draw big bro Oreshi and baby bro Bokushi and thought it would be a perfect time to make them all cuddly (loosely based on this post). Hope it heals you as much as it healed me.

[Art related to my fic, Accidental Siblings.]

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Ive been thinking about this. So, there are a few productions where der Tod is supposed to only have a romantic relationship with Elisabeth, like, their relationship is "special" because hes never been in love before, whch I dont like because I always thought that hes Like That with everyone, or atleast with everyone who thinks about death and dying a lot, its just presented as special because Elisabeth is the central character. But whatever, some productions wanna make it extra amatonormative romantic so hes never felt that kind of love towards anyone before and will never feel it again after the story is done, I know thats definitely the case in the takarazuka production and I think thats also what they did for the hungarian production (i havent seen that one in a while so im not sure) and from what Ive heard about the newer austrain productions, it seems like they do it like that as well. Okay, sure, Elisabeth is der Tods one true love, why not, yay heterosexuality. But then why is doing all that shit Rudolf though

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

TIME LOOP OMG OMG I hope all the creative writing juices stay fresh for the entire writing process (lol). Time loop stories where a character tries so so desperately to change destiny and save their loved one always hit me so hard :( I’m so excited to see how you’ll write about suguru and reader in the story 🫂 good luck and take care !!

AAAAA THANK YOU ANON 🥺🥺🥺 i appreciate the encouragement soso much <333 TIME LOOP STORIES ALWAYS HIT ME SO HARD TOOOO…….. this one will probably be angsty and prose-heavy but i do want it to feel . Hopeful. in the sense that reader will never give up on him!!!! they’ll keep trying again and again and again….. and again………………….

i’m still not super sure how i’m going to format it, so!!! here’s a little (… pretty long) sneak peek of an interaction between sugu and reader that i’m not sure if i’ll end up including or not :’3 depends on what fits!!! but it’s one i picture them having, either way!!!!!

[withinkandquill-aa]

“I’m here- I’m here, now” // Roxane & Dustfinger // @firejugglinghobo

Roxane had lost track of the days. Between the constant darkness of the crypt, broken only by the arrival of her captors, and the fitfulness of her sleep, it could have been days or weeks and she would not be any the wiser. Meals did not come as often as they should, she knew that. Once, she had been used to going to bed hungry but now her stomach reminded her of its emptiness at every waking moment. And that was not even mentioning the physical pain, the moist chill of the stone walls and floors, and the heaviness of the solitude. The constant fear. Fear of her captors, fear no one will come for her.

She is just beginning to doze off again - slumped against the wall in the back corner of her confines, legs curled beneath her skirts to keep warm, dark hair falling into her face - when footsteps sound from above. Eyes instantly blow wide, head whipping towards the sound so fast it dizzies her for a moment. They are lighter than they normally are. Faster too. There’s an air of…desperation. But Roxane is quick to quash her own hopes, burying them down deep where they cannot do any more harm.

Keys jingle in the lock for a moment and then the door pushes open. The light that floods in is blinding, the black silhouette of a man the only relief as she blinks against the brightness her eyes are already unadjusted to. Legs curl closer, arms rising in a feeble attempt to protect herself. And then the figure moves forward, her eyes adjust, his voice sounds, and she knows. She knows beyond a doubt.

A cross between a gasp and a cry escapes her lips as she moves to meet him, body aching with every movement as she practically throws herself into his arms. Hers wrap around his neck. Her face buries into him, inhaling the familiar scent of his skin. And in a rare moment of vulnerability, she lets herself cry there…or rather, she cannot make herself stop.

[buttercupshands]

My emotionally immature ass still doesn't understand a thing of how people can pity characters

Not like I don't try to understand it! I just... Can't? Understand that??? At all???

Like why would you pity a character for their sad backstory or whatever, and poof suddenly a character is pitiful as hell, and suddenly they're understandable because a person can call them a wet kitten under their care

And that's something I can't do for some reason

And again, not like I didn't *try*, it's just a thing I can't understand at any capacity other than 'some people do that to show their affection of that character, that's their way of caring

Granted talking to more people makes you understand them better! Doesn't help much! But it's something!!